2013 Italy Trip

Bringing a strong basketball acumen and a wealth of international experience, Clare Bodensteiner is eager to begin her third season on the bench in Rogers Park. Recently appointed as the program's recruiting coordinator, Bodensteiner is also heavily involved in preparing practice and game plans while continuing her work with Loyola's guards.

"During her playing career at Stanford and as an Olympian, Clare gained a valuable understanding of the ways in which highly successful programs operate and prepare to win basketball games," said head coach Eric Simpson. "Her experience was a tremendous asset to our players and coaching staff last season. On the court, Clare impressed with her ability to teach the skills of the game and she quickly established a positive and enthusiastic coaching approach. As a result, Clare earned the respect of our student-athletes and her efforts have been key to the success of our guards."

Under Bodensteiner's watch, Loyola had one of the Horizon League's most versatile backcourts last season, anchored by high-scoring Monica Albano. Albano finished fifth in the Horizon League in scoring a season ago (16.7 ppg) while Katie Kortekamp made a smooth transition to the point guard spot, finishing among the league leaders in assists as well as blocked shots.

That production came one season after one of the most prolific backcourt duos in program history departed. Bodensteiner helped mentor Keisha Collins and Maggie McCloskey in 2009-10, as Collins became the first Loyola player since Tracy Hoffmann (1999-2003) to put together two seasons with over 300 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists while McCloskey finished her illustrious career seventh on Loyola's all-time scoring list (1,282 points) and 11th on the NCAA's all-time three-point field goals list (315).

Bodensteiner got her first taste of coaching at the collegiate level during the 2008-09 season, serving as a volunteer assistant at Northwestern while also working as a private coach and instructor for Full Package Athletics and AAU program in the Chicagoland area.

She joined the coaching ranks following a five-year playing career at Stanford University under head coach Tara VanDerveer. As a member of the Cardinal, Bodensteiner was a two-time team captain, helping the team to five Pacific-10 Conference titles and three appearances in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, and was a Pac-10 All-Academic First Team selection after the 2006-07 season. Upon graduation, Bodensteiner represented New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where it was eliminated after the group stage.

A graduate of Stanford, Bodensteiner earned her bachelor's degree in psychology in 2006 and also obtained her master's degree, through the School of Education, in 2007.